What is a PDF portfolio and how do I open one?
A PDF portfolio is a collection of files inside one PDF. PDF by Zaweba shows it as a file list with folders and opens each PDF in it in a tab.
A PDF portfolio, also called a PDF collection, is a single PDF file that holds a set of other files, often with folders and columns of information about each. To open one, open it in PDF by Zaweba like any PDF: the app shows it as a file list with its own columns and folders, and opens the PDFs inside it in tabs.
Portfolios are used to bundle related documents into one file that's easy to send. A planning application might include drawings, reports and letters. A tender might gather the specification, the forms and the price schedule. A legal bundle might hold dozens of exhibits in folders.
How it differs from an ordinary PDF
An ordinary PDF is a document with pages, which may have a few files attached to it on the side. A portfolio turns that round: the files are the point, and the portfolio is a container for them. Many PDF readers show only a cover page or a message saying the file is a portfolio, which can leave people wondering where the content is.
Opening one
Open the file in PDF by Zaweba. Instead of pages, you see the list of files inside, laid out with the portfolio's own columns and folders. Open a PDF from the list and it comes up in a tab, so you can read several of the documents side by side in tabs without unpacking anything.
When you save, Save all keeps the folder structure, so the portfolio stays organised the way its author arranged it.
Making one
File > Create a PDF collection makes a new portfolio. Put in the files that belong together and save it. It's a tidy way to send a set of documents that belong together, so the person at the other end receives one file instead of a dozen attachments.
Tips for tidy collections
Name the files inside clearly before adding them. The list is what the reader sees first, and "03 Site plan" is easier to follow than a scanner's default name.
Use folders for anything with more than a handful of files. A flat list of forty items is hard to work through.
Think about the reader's software. Not every PDF reader handles portfolios well, so for someone who may not have a capable reader, a single combined PDF can be friendlier. PDF by Zaweba also combines PDFs into one document, which suits a set that's meant to be read straight through.
Associated files
There's a related idea in modern PDFs called associated files, where a document carries files that belong to it, such as the data behind a chart or the machine-readable version of an invoice. PDF by Zaweba keeps associated files with their relationships when it saves, so that information isn't lost. Ordinary attachments, meanwhile, are listed in the Attachments panel, where you can open, save, add or remove them.
Safety
Portfolios can contain any kind of file. Treat unexpected programs inside one with the same care as an email attachment from a stranger.
PDF by Zaweba is free and works offline, so you can open a portfolio someone sent you without uploading it anywhere, and see all its files in one place.
